LOCATION ASTROBEE NM
Established Series
GWC
10/2015
ASTROBEE SERIES
The Astrobee series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in sandy gypsiferous eolian deposits. These nearly level soils are on interdunes, low dunes, and relict shorelines in dune fields. Slopes range from 0 to 10 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Leptic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Astrobee gypsiferous very fine sandy loam rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ayy--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gypsiferous very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; 8 percent clay; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many very fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 86 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 2.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; gradual wavy boundary.
Byy1--4 to 15 inches (10 to 38 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gypsiferous very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist; 8 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and common medium irregular gypsum masses and many very fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; very slightly effervescent, 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 90 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.1; electrical conductivity 2.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; gradual wavy boundary.
Byy2--15 to 20 inches (38 to 50 cm); white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; common fine and medium irregular gypsum masses and many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 89 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; electrical conductivity 3.7 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; gradual wavy boundary.
Cyy1--20 to 38 inches (50 to 96 cm); white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous sand, very pale brown (10YR 8/2), moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium roots throughout; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 93 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; electrical conductivity 4.5 dS/m (mmhos/cm); slightly saline; diffuse wavy boundary.
Cyy2--38 to 64 inches (96 to 162 cm); white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous sand, very pale brown (10YR 8/2), moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 93 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 4.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); slightly saline; gradual wavy boundary.
Cyy3--64 to 79 inches (162 to 200 cm); 10 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3) and 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 70 percent white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous sand, 10 percent very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and 20 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and 70 percent white (10YR 8/1), moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 91 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 3.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; about 6.12 miles west and 3.61 miles north of Holloman Air Force Base main gate; located about 700 feet west and 728 feet south of the northeast Corner of Sec 36, T. 16S, R. 7E: USGS Quad Lost River; Latitude: 32 degrees 53 minutes 8.36 seconds N; Longitude: 106 degrees 10 minutes 19.33 seconds W, NAD 83; UTM 390369 E, 3639220 N, UTM Zone 13.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 66 to 72 degrees F.
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
Gypsum content: 60 to 100 percent
Ayy horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous very fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 8 percent
Gypsum content: 28 to 100 percent
Salinity: non to slightly saline
Byy horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 to 9.5 dry, 5 to 8.5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous fine sand, gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous very fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 4 percent
Gypsum content: 60 to 100 percent
Salinity: non to slight
Cyy horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 9.5 dry, 2 to 8.5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Gypsum content: 60 to 100 percent
Salinity: very slight to moderate
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bracken (NV),
Mamtrack (NM),
Peligro (NM),
Shot (NM),
Whitebasin (NV), Wulie (NM), and
Yesum (NM) series. Bracken soils have less than 30 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS, are deep to a paralithic contact and are in the
Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Mamtrack soils have gleyed hues within the PSCS and are found on relict shorelines. Peligro soils are formed in strongly sloping relict playa dunes. Shot soils have hues of 5YR and 7.5YR and have less than 60 percent gypsum in the PSCS. Whitebasin soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact and are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Wulie soils have less than 35 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS and have a lacustrine horizon at the bottom of the PSCS. Yesum soils have sandy loam and finer textures and are moderately to strongly saline.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Astrobee soils are on interdunes, low dunes, and relict shorelines in dune fields. Slope is 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed from sandy gypsiferous eolian deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,880 to 4,140 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls in all months as gentle winter storms and with increased amounts during high intensity summer storms. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Transformer, and
Lark series. Transformer soils are on interdunes and have oxyaquic conditions. Lark soils are on semi-active dunes and do not have a gypsic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very low to negligible runoff; very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is gyp dropseed, rough coldenia, Torrey's Ephedra, and gypsum grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to the gypsum dune fields of the Tularosa Basin, MLRA 42. Astrobee is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2014.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Byy1, Byy2, Cyy1 and Cyy2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4 inches (AyY horizon)
Gypsic horizon - the zone from 4 to 20 inches (Byy horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS
Revised for the correlation of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico; April, 2015, NMS
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.